Hornsea 2, the world’s largest installed windfarm, is now fully operational.
The 1.3GW Ørsted project comprises 165 wind turbines 55 miles off the coast, which will help power more than 1.4 million UK homes with low-cost, clean and secure renewable energy. It is situated alongside its sister project Hornsea 1, and together they can power 2.5 million homes and make a significant contribution to the Government’s ambition of having 50 GW off shore wind in operation by 2030.
The Hornsea Zone, an area of the North Sea covering more than 1,200 sq m, is also set to include Hornsea 3. The 2.8GW project is planned to follow Hornsea 2 having been awarded a contract for difference from the Government earlier this year.
Patrick Harnett, vice-president UK programme at Ørsted, said: “This project has been an amazing endeavour. To build the world’s largest off shore windfarm during a global pandemic has been a challenge that the team have overcome with flying colours. I am so proud of how our team has worked together to safely deliver this remarkable project. A huge thank you to all those involved in making it happen.”
Duncan Clark, head of region UK at Ørsted, says: “The UK is truly a world leader in off shore wind and the completion of Hornsea 2 is a tremendous milestone for the off shore wind industry, not just in the UK but globally.
“Current global events highlight more than ever the importance of landmark renewable energy projects like Hornsea 2, helping the UK increase the security and resilience of our energy supply and drive down costs for consumers by reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuels.
“Not only will Hornsea 2 provide low-cost, clean energy for millions of homes in the UK, it has also delivered thousands of high-quality jobs and billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s off shore wind supply chain. We look forward to working with government and industry colleagues to continue to accelerate the deployment of off shore wind for the benefit of homes and businesses across the country.”
Hornsea 2 has also seen a number of other significant milestones during construction including the award-winning Thrive safety programme, a legacy project for the wind farm and designed to be an innovative learning centre that will continue to benefit industries across the Humber.
